How Efficient Is Your Heating And Ventilation System?
What are HVAC Systems?
Heating, ventilation, and conditioning systems are systems used to control temperature, humidity, and air quality indoors. They are essential to creating a comfortable environment and healthy and clean air.
Why is Heating and Ventilation Efficiency Important?
HVAC efficiency is crucial. An inefficient HVAC system will use substantially more energy, leaving businesses with large energy bills. Furthermore, poor energy efficiency is typically a symptom of an underlying problem. Left unattended, the problem may escalate to more severe system damage and incur costly repairs.
How to Test HVAC System Efficiency
There are a number of ways to measure the efficiency of a heating and ventilation system. By combining several of these tests, you can build a clear picture of your system's performance and assess where there may be a need for maintenance, repairs or replacements.
Energy Consumption
One of the easiest ways to track your HVAC system's efficiency is to test its energy consumption. You can get a general idea of energy consumption from the building's energy meter reading. A meter can be attached to your HVAC system and tracked over time for more accurate readings. High readings will show poor efficiency, whilst a continual increase in energy consumption will illustrate a decline in performance.
Measure Airflow
Another way to track your HVAC performance is to measure airflow. Measuring the conditioned air supplied by the system can help assess its efficiency and can be done using several tools.
HVAC airflow can be measured using the following tools:
Anemometers - measures the velocity of the air flowing through a duct or vent.
Pitot Tubes - measures the pressure and velocity of the air flowing through a duct or vent.
Flow Hoods - placed over a vent and measure the airflow rate.
Load Calculation
Load calculation uses a building’s size, orientation, and insulation (among other factors) to calculate its heating and cooling requirements. You can use this information to determine the appropriate HVAC system or the efficiency of a system.
Combustion Analysis
A combustion analysis can assess the efficiency of the heating system’s combustion process. Furthermore, it will also help identify potential health and safety hazards.
What Impacts Heating And Ventilation Efficiency?
Suboptimal performance from a HVAC system could be due to several factors, such as dirt build-up or refrigerant leaks. The most common reasons for poor HVAC efficiency include the following:
HVAC System Age
Old systems often struggle to match the performance of newer options. Furthermore, without regular HVAC maintenance and servicing, the system can develop clogged filters, duct leakage, and general wear and tear.
Building Insulation
If your building does not have sufficient insulation, there may be significant heat transfer between the indoors and the outside of the building. This heat loss can put higher demands on your HVAC system to maintain a comfortable environment.
Blocked Air Filters
Reduced airflow in your ventilation system could be due to clogged air filters. This will lead to a less efficient system and increased energy consumption in relation to the systems’ output.
Ductwork
Air can escape through leaky ductwork. This will result in less conditioned air reaching the intended space meaning the system will need to work harder to maintain a comfortable workspace. You can identify areas where the air is escaping through a duct leakage test.
How to Improve HVAC Efficiency
You can improve your heating and ventilation efficiency in a number of ways. Changes to your building (such as improving its insulation) can reduce the demand on your HVAC system. There are also several changes you can make to the system itself.
HVAC Maintenance
Regular maintenance is essential to resolving small issues before they grow and damage your system and reduce its performance. HVAC servicing includes cleaning coils, checking refrigerant levels, and changing air filters, and it will keep your system running efficiently for longer. Regular maintenance is a great cost saver as it keeps your system running optimally for lower energy bills as well as helping you to avoid costly repairs.
Upgrade To An Efficient HVAC System
In some cases, maintenance or even repairs will not be enough to achieve sufficient energy efficiency. For older systems, it can often be best to upgrade to a new, more effective solution. Over time high energy efficiency systems can save you money as your lower energy bills begin to add up.
Seal Ductwork
As we discussed earlier, sometimes poor HVAC performance is due to escaping air. Sealing and insulating ductwork can drastically increase your system’s energy efficiency by removing air leaks and improving airflow.
Improve Your HVAC’s Efficiency with SWL
If your current system is not running optimally, speak with the SWL team. We offer a range of Heating, ventilation and air conditioning solutions, providing reliable and efficient commercial HVAC system services to properties nationwide.